Luis Suárez
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (American Spanish: ˈswaɾes; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for English club Liverpool FC and the Uruguay national football team. In July of 2014, Suárez moved from Liverpool to Spanish giants FC Barcelona for an estimated fee of £64.98 million (82.3 million), making him one of the most expensive transfers in history. The transfer took place after he had won the European Golden Shoe in the previous season with Liverpool. Suárez is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world. In December 2016, he was named by The Guardian as the third-best footballer in the world. Following a successful season at Barcelona, Suárez returned to Liverpool in August 2015 for an estimated £74.68 million, becoming Liverpool's record signing, breaking Andy Carroll's previous fee of around £35 million. This record was eventually broken by Toby Alderweireld, who signed for Liverpool in June 2016 for around £91.13 million. Suárez was one of the main players which starred in Liverpool's domestic treble in the 2015/16 season, alongside Neymar, Hugo Lloris, Robert Lewandowski and David Alaba. Suárez won the Premier League Golden Boot for finishing as top-goalscorer in the 2015/16 Premier League season. With 47 goals in 90 games for Uruguay, Suárez is the all-time record goalscorer for his national team. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa he played an important role in Uruguay's fourth-place finish, scoring three goals, and also blocked an extra time goalbound header with his hands during the quarter-final against Ghana. At the 2011 Copa América, Suárez scored four goals for Uruguay as they won a record fifteenth Copa América, and he was named Player of the Tournament.13 At the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Suárez scored his 40th international goal. Suárez has been a source of controversy throughout his career.141516 As well as his 2010 World Cup goal-line handball, he has also bitten opponents on three separate occasions, the latest being Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup,17181920 has been accused of and admitted to diving,2122 and the Football Association found him guilty of racially abusingPatrice Evra,23 a decision Suárez disputes.24 Career Nacional Suárez joined local side Nacional's youth team at the age of 14.25 At the age of 16, Suárez headbutted a referee following a red card.26 One night he was caught drinking and partying, and his coach threatened Suárez would never play unless he started playing football more seriously.2527 In May 2005, at age 18, he made his first-team debut against Junior de Barranquilla in the Copa Libertadores.25 He scored his first goal in September 200528 and helped Nacional win the 2005–06 Uruguayan league with 10 goals in 27 games.29 Suárez was found by a group of scouts from the Dutch club Groningen when they were in Uruguay to watch another player. As they watched, he won and converted a penalty and scored a "wonder goal" against Defensor. After watching only that game, the scouts approached Suárez and said they wanted to buy him; after the season, Groningen paid Nacional €800,000 for him.25 Suárez was thrilled to go to Europe because his girlfriend, and current wife, Sofia Balbi, had moved to Barcelona; they had maintained a long-distance relationship for a year and he wanted to move closer to her.2628 Groningen Suárez was 19 years old when he went to play for Groningen. The Groningen management had discovered Suárez coincidentally when they attended a Nacional match with the intent to look at another player. Initially he struggled because he could not speak Dutch or English, and he played on the second team to adjust to the Dutch game.30 His team-mate and fellow Uruguayan, Bruno Silva, helped him settle into living in the Netherlands and playing for a new team.30 He worked hard to learn Dutch and his team-mates respected him for his efforts with the language.30Suárez scored goals for Groningen, but he also had disciplinary problems; in one five-game stretch in January 2007, he scored four goals but received three yellow cards and one red card.27 Suárez especially made his mark in a 4–3 home win over Vitesse, when with ten minutes to go he subsequently won a penalty and scored two goals.31 Suárez ended with 10 goals in 29 league appearances32 to help Groningen finish eighth in the 2006–07 Eredivisie.3032 He also scored in a 4–2 loss33 to Partizan Belgrade in his European debut.30 Ajax saw potential in Suárez and offered Groningen €3.5 million for him, but Groningen rejected the deal.34 Suárez was upset and brought his case to the KNVB’s arbitration committee to try to facilitate the sale.34 The arbitration committee ruled against him on 9 August 2007, but that same day, Ajax increased their offer to €7.5 million and Groningen accepted.3235 Ajax 2007–08 season Suárez signed a five-year contract with Ajax3436 and made his club debut in the Champions League qualifier against Slavia Prague.37 He scored one goal in his Eredivisie debut for the club38 and two goals in his home debut at the Amsterdam Arena.39 Ajax finished second in league in the 2007–08 season40 and Suárez scored 17 goals in 33 league appearances, setting up a blossoming striking partnership with league top scorer Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.41 2008–09 season During the 2008–09 season, Ajax coach Marco van Basten noted how Suárez played an important role in many of Ajax’s goals, but Van Basten was also upset by the number of yellow cards Suárez received.38 Suárez was suspended for a game42 because he was given his seventh yellow card of the season against Utrecht in a 2–0 win.43 He was also suspended after a half-time altercation with team-mate Albert Luque over a free kick.2738 Ajax ended the season in third place.44 Suárez scored 22 goals in 31 league games3841 and finished second in scoring tables, one goal behind Mounir El Hamdaoui of AZ;45 Suárez was named Ajax Player of the Year.46 2009–10 season Before the 2009–10 season, Martin Jol replaced Van Basten as coach.38 After the departure of previous captain, Thomas Vermaelen, to Arsenal, Jol named Suárez team captain.4748 Suárez started scoring goals early in the season with a hat-trick in a 4–1 win against RKC Waalwijk.49 Suárez had a number of multiple-goal games throughout the season including four goals in wins over Slovan Bratislava in the Europe League play-off round,50 VVV-Venlo5152 and Roda JC.53 He scored three in the first half in another win over VVV-Venlo54 and six against WHC Wezep in the KNVB Cup as Ajax won by a club-record margin of 14–1.55 Suárez scored two more in the second leg of the KNVB Cup final and finished as the tournament's top scorer.56 Ajax won the Cup final 6–1 on aggregate over Feyenoord,465657 but they finished second in the league behind FC Twente.47 Suárez ended the season as the Eredivisie's top scorer with 35 goals in 33 games4147 and had 49 goals in all competitions.47 He was named Ajax Player of the Year for the second straight time46 and Dutch Footballer of the Year.464758 2010–11 season Soon after Suárez returned from his World Cup campaign, he scored his 100th goal for Ajax in a 1–1 home draw against PAOK in a Champions League qualifier.4659 This put him in an elite group of players, including Johan Cruyff, Van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp, to score 100 or more goals with the club.5759 Suárez continued his scoring run with a hat-trick against De Graafschap in a 5–0 win.60 First biting incident On 20 November 2010, Suárez bit PSV's Otman Bakkal on the shoulder during a 0–0 draw. Ajax suspended him for two games and fined him an undisclosed amount, which the club said they would donate to a "good cause".61 The Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf branded Suárez the "Cannibal of Ajax".1757 The KNVB increased Suárez's suspension to seven league matches.62 Suárez apologised for his actions through a video he uploaded to his Facebook page.57 Transfer to Liverpool During the suspension Ajax were in contact with other European clubs interested in Suárez; on 28 January 2011 they accepted a €26.5 million (£22.8 million) offer for Suárez from Premier League club Liverpool.6364 Despite leaving while suspended, Suárez departed Ajax on good terms, and he was given a farewell sendoff after an Ajax game. During the sendoff an Ajax coach spoke to him and the crowd and said how the club wished he could stay longer; the crowd applauded their agreement and fireworks followed.65 Ajax ended the 2010–11 season as Eredivisie champions66 and Suárez was given a winner’s medal2967 for his seven goals in 13 appearances.68 While he was at Ajax, Suárez scored 111 goals in 159 appearances.3763 Liverpool 2010–11 season On 31 January 2011, Suárez signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with Liverpool until 2016,6369 and was the club's most expensive signing (£22.8 million) until the arrival of Andy Carroll (£35 million) a few hours later.70 Suárez requested the number seven jersey, but at the time did not realise that it had been worn by Liverpool legends such as his new manager Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan.71 Suárez made his Liverpool debut on 2 February against Stoke City at Anfield in a 2–0 win; he came on as a substitute and scored Liverpool's second goal in front of the Kop in the seventy-nine minute.7072 He was one of Liverpool's best players during his partial season737475 and helped Liverpool go from twelfth in the league in mid-January73 to finish sixth.75 He finished the 2010–11 season with four goals in 13 games.68 2011–12 season After winning the Player of the Tournament at the 2011 Copa América,13 Suárez had a disappointing 2011–12 season by his standards.76 Liverpool finished in eighth place and Suárez scored 11 league goals.76 On 26 February, Liverpool won the Football League Cup, beating Cardiff City in penalty shootout.77 On 28 April, Suárez scored his first Liverpool hat-trick in 3–0 win against Norwich City at Carrow Road.78 He finished sixth for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or.79 Racial abuse incident The season was marked by an incident in which Suárez was found guilty by a three-man panel from the FA of racially abusing Patrice Evra during a game against Manchester United in October; he was given an eight-game suspension and a £40,000 fine.23 Suárez has disputed this decision.24 After a 1–1 draw against Manchester United on 15 October 2011, Suárez was accused of racially abusing Evra,80 and the Football Association opened up an investigation into the incident.80 Suárez wrote on his Twitter and Facebook pages that he was upset by the accusation and denied the claims.81 On 16 November, the FA announced it would charge Suárez with "abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour contrary to FA rules", including "a reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of Patrice Evra." Liverpool later released a statement announcing Suárez would plead innocent, adding that they would "remain fully supportive" of him.82 On 20 December, the FA concluded a seven-day hearing, handing Suárez an eight-match ban and a £40,000 fine for racially abusing Evra.838485 In their next meeting in February, during the pregame handshakes, Suárez avoided shaking Evra's hand, for which Suárez and Dalglish were later forced to apologise.86 Suárez was also banned for one match for making an obscene gesture towards Fulham fans.87 2012–13 season On 7 August 2012, Suárez signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool.88 On 26 August, he scored his first goal of the 2012–13 season in a 2–2 draw with champions Manchester City at Anfield.89 On 29 September 2012, Suárez scored a hat-trick in Liverpool's Premier League fixture away at Norwich City for the second consecutive season.90 On 6 January 2013, Suárez handled the ball before scoring the decisive goal in Liverpool's 2–1 win over Mansfield Town from the Conference National in an FA Cup third round match. Liverpool's manager Brendan Rodgers defended his player by claiming that "it's not his job to own up", while Mansfield manager Paul Cox said that he felt "a little bit gutted" by the "instinctive" handball, but admitted that he would have accepted a goal scored like that by one of his players.91 On 19 January, he scored his seventh goal in three matches against Norwich, as Liverpool cruised to a 5–0 home league victory.92 The following week, Suárez captained Liverpool for the first time for the FA Cup fourth round match against Oldham Athletic; Liverpool lost to Oldham 2–3.93On 2 March, Suárez scored a hat-trick against Wigan, leading Liverpool to a dominant 4–0 victory at the DW Stadium. In doing so he became only the third Liverpool player to score 20 Premier League goals in a single season after Robbie Fowler and Fernando Torres.94 On 10 March, Suárez scored his 50th goal in all competitions since joining the Reds by grabbing the opener in a 3–2 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur ending Spurs' 12-match unbeaten run. He was also named man of the match for his performance after he won the decisive penalty which Steven Gerrard converted. At the end of the season, Suárez was one of six players named on the shortlist for PFA Players' Player of the Year.95 Suárez finished second in the final ballot behind Gareth Bale of Tottenham Hotspur96 and was named in the PFA Team of the Year.96 He was second-top goalscorer in the Premier League for 2012–13 with 23 goals and Liverpool's top scorer in all competitions with 30 goals.97 On 28 May 2013, he was named as Liverpool's player of the season after receiving 64 percent of votes in a poll of the club's supporters.98 Second biting incident On 21 April 2013, during a 2–2 draw with Chelsea in a Premier League game at Anfield, Suárez bit Branislav Ivanović; this was the second time Suárez had bitten an opponent. It was not noticed by the officials, and Suárez scored an equaliser in injury time.18 The bite prompted UK Prime Minister David Cameron to call on the FA to take a hard line with Suárez: the FA charged him with violent conduct and he was fined an undisclosed sum by his club.99 Contrary to claims from Suárez, Ivanović did not accept an apology.99 Suárez accepted the violent conduct charge but denied the FA's claim that the standard punishment of three matches was clearly insufficient for his offence.100 A three-man independent panel appointed by the FA decided on a ten-game ban for Suárez, who did not appeal the ban; the panel criticised Suárez for not appreciating "the seriousness" of the incident when he argued against a long ban. The panel also wanted to send a "strong message that such deplorable behaviours do not have a place in football", while noting that "all players in the higher level of the game are seen as role models, have the duty to act professionally and responsibly, and set the highest example of good conduct to the rest of the game – especially to young players."101 On 31 May 2013, Suárez said that he would be seeking an exit from Liverpool in the summer, citing excessive media attention on his family as a reason for wanting to leave.102On 6 August, after Liverpool had rejected a bid of £40,000,001 for the player from Arsenal, Suárez reiterated his wish to leave Liverpool and said that the club had previously promised to allow him a transfer if the team failed to qualify for the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League.103 The following day, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers stated that Liverpool had not broken any promises to Suárez and that the player had shown "total disrespect" for the club.104 After this incident, the British press reported that Suárez had been instructed to train away from the Liverpool first-team squad by Rodgers.104105106 On 8 August, Liverpool owner John W. Henry stated that Suárez would not be allowed to leave the club.107 2013–14 season, Player of the Year On 14 August, Suárez appeared to reverse his position about wanting to leave the club, with reports stating that he wanted to stay at the club and that he was possibly going to sign a contract extension, citing the support from Liverpool supporters as the reason for his unexpected turnaround.108109110 Suárez returned to first-team training two days later after "offering contrition" to his team-mates but reportedly not apologising to his manager.111 On 25 September, Suárez returned to the Liverpool team after his suspension to make his first appearance of the 2013–14 season in a League Cup third round tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford, losing 1–0.112113 On 29 September, Suárez made his first Premier League appearance of the season, scoring twice as Liverpool beat Sunderland 3–1 at the Stadium of Light.114 On 5 October, Suárez made his first appearance of the season at Anfield, where he scored Liverpool's opening goal in a 3–1 win against Crystal Palace.115 On 26 October, he scored his fourth Premier League hat-trick, his first at Anfield, in a 4–1 defeat of West Bromwich Albion. According to the BBC, he has scored a hat-trick every 20.3 Premier League games, "the best rate of all 46 players to have scored more than one treble" in the top tier.116 On 4 December, Suárez scored four goals against Norwich City in a 5–1 home win.118 He became the first player in Premier League history to score three hat-tricks against the same club, and took his scoring record against Norwich to 11 goals in five matches.119 On 15 December, Suárez captained Liverpool for the first time in a Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur.120 He scored twice and assisted once as the team recorded a 5–0 win at White Hart Lane to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal to two points.121 The following day, Suárez was named the Football Supporters' Federation Player of the Year for 2013.122123 On 20 December, Suárez signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Liverpool.124125126 On 1 January 2014, by scoring in a 2–0 home win over Hull City, Suárez became the first Liverpool player to score 20 or more goals in successive Premier League seasons since Robbie Fowler in 1994–95 and 1995–96.127 He equalled Andy Cole's Premier League record for the earliest date to reach the 20-goal mark, but set a new record low of 15 matches.128 His strike partnership this season with Daniel Sturridge has earned them a nickname "SAS", i.e. Sturridge and Suárez.129 On 1 March, Suárez made his 100th Premier League appearance, scoring in a 3–0 win over Southampton at St Mary's Stadium.130 In the following fixture, he scored his 25th league goal of the season as Liverpool beat Manchester United at Old Trafford for the first time since 2009 by a convincing three goal margin.131 On 22 March, Suárez scored his sixth Premier League hat-trick, and third of the season, in a 6–3 win over Cardiff City at the Cardiff City Stadium.132 On 30 March, he broke Robbie Fowler's club record of 28 goals in a Premier League season in a 4–0 home win against Tottenham Hotspur which took Liverpool top of the league with six matches remaining.133 On 20 April, he scored in a 3–2 win at Norwich City to become the first Liverpool player to score 30 league goals in a season since Ian Rush in 1986–87.134 This also made him the seventh player to score 30 goals in a Premier League season, following Andy Cole, Alan Shearer, Kevin Phillips, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robin van Persie.135 On 18 April, Suárez was named as one of the six players nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season.136 On 27 April he won the award, becoming the first non-European to win the award.137 On 5 May 2014, Suárez was named as the Football Association Writers player of the year.138 He finished the season with 31 goals in 33 games, winning the Premier League Golden Boot, with Sturridge as runner-up,139 as Liverpool came second in the league and returned to the Champions League. Suárez also won the Barclay's Premier League Player of the Season award.140 As the Premier League's top scorer with 31 goals he also shared the European Golden Shoe with Cristiano Ronaldo. On 21 May 2014, Suárez ranked number one on "Europe's most influential player" list of the year, ahead of Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Cristiano Ronaldo, according to a study by Bloomberg of the top five European leagues.141 Barcelona Signing and suspension On 11 July 2014, Suárez agreed with Barcelona on a five-year contract for a fee of £64.98 million (€82.3 million), making him one of the most expensive players in world football history.142143 The club confirmed that Suárez would wear the number 9 shirt for the 2014–15 season.144 Suárez missed the first part of the season after being found guilty of biting Italian player Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.145146 As part of the suspension, he was banned from all "football-related activities," including training for Barcelona, for four months (until 26 October). He was also banned from setting foot in any stadium, even as a spectator, during the same period.145146 On 24 July, Suárez and his lawyers filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) located in Lausanne, Switzerland, and requested that the sanctions be reduced or the suspension to be lifted.147 The parties were heard at a hearing which took place at the CAS offices on 8 August.148 Six days later, the CAS confirmed the ban imposed by FIFA against Suárez, who remained suspended from football for four months, as well as a nine-match ban in internationals, the first of which was served in the Uruguay's round of 16 match against Colombia in the 2014 World Cup. However, the CAS removed the player's "football-related activities" ban, and was allowed to train with Barcelona. As a result of this ban, Suárez was banned from participating in the 2015 Copa América. The CAS permitted Suárez to play in friendly matches, and he made his Barcelona debut on 18 August against Club León of Mexico at the Camp Nou, replacing Rafinha for the final 14 minutes of an eventual 6–0 win in the Gamper Trophy. Fellow attackers Lionel Messi and Neymar had already been substituted by the time Suárez took to the pitch.149 2014–15 season Suárez made his competitive debut for Barcelona on 25 October, starting in attack with Lionel Messi and Neymar away to Real Madrid in the El Clásico.150 Although he set up Neymar for the opening goal in the fourth minute, Suárez was substituted in the second half and Barcelona lost 3–1.150 He scored his first goal for the club on 26 November in a 4–0 win at APOEL in the UEFA Champions League group stage.151 On 20 December he scored his first league goal for the club in his eighth La Liga match, contributing to a 5–0 home win against Córdoba.152 On 24 February 2015, Suárez scored twice as Barça defeated English champions Manchester City 2–1 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie.153 On 4 March, he scored in Barcelona's 3–1 Copa del Rey semi-final win over Villarreal to qualify the club for its 37th Spanish Cup final.154 On 8 March, Suárez scored twice in a 6–1 home win over Rayo Vallecano.155 On 22 March 2015, Suárez scored the winning goal for Barcelona in the 2–1 victory over Real Madrid at Camp Nou.156 In the post match press conference, his coach Luis Enrique lauded Suárez, stating: "Very few players can score a goal like he did, and that is why we signed him. He can decide games. He's a pure scorer, who needs very little to finish."156 On 15 April, Suárez scored two goals in a 3–1 UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg victory over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes.157 He nutmegged PSG defender David Luiz twice before scoring both goals.158 On 2 May, he scored his first hat-trick for the club, in 8–0 win at Córdoba.159 Suárez scored in the Champions League Final against Juventus on 6 June in Berlin, putting the team back into the lead in an eventual 3–1 win by converting the rebound after Gianluigi Buffon saved from Messi; the win sealed a treble for the team.160 Suárez ended his first season at Barcelona with 25 goals and 20 assists in all competitions.161 The Barcelona attacking trio of Messi, Suárez and Neymar, dubbed MSN, ended with 122 goals, the most in a season for an attacking trio in Spanish football history.162 Liverpool Re-signing to Liverpool On August 3rd, 2015, Liverpool confirmed the re-signing of Suárez, with Barcelona accepting an estimated €88.14 million (£74.68 million), becoming the most expensive Liverpool signing in the club's history. Liverpool claimed that Suárez was very skeptical on signing for Liverpool, claiming how they did not field an impressive squad compared to Barcelona, but was convinced after teammates Neymar, Jordi Alba and Dani Alves were purchased by the club, along several other star players such as Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus, Paul Pogba and David Alaba. 2015-16 season Suárez first started for Liverpool in a pre-season away friendly against Orlando City, with Liverpool wining 1–0. Suárez scored his first goals for Liverpool's 3–0 home win against Premier League champions, Chelsea, scoring in the 33rd and 42nd minute. Suárez was highly praised by supporters and media for his very fast start in the return to his former club. Luis Suárez fielded an impressive first season at his return to Liverpool, which was very rare compared to other players who had an unsuccessful first season on their return to their old clubs, most notably Didier Drogba and others. On August 22, Suárez scored two goals in Liverpool's 3–2 away win against Newcastle United, who were managed by previous Liverpool manager, Brendan Rodgers. Suárez scored in the 31st and 41st minute. On November 5th, Suárez scored his first goal of the season in Europe, scoring in a 4–1 away win against Vitesse for Liverpool. Suárez scored another goal in Europe in Liverpool's 4–1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League group stage. On 10th March, Suárez scored against Napoli both home and away a goal each, with Liverpool winning 4–1 on aggregate. In September of 2015, Suárez scored against Leicester City, a match which Liverpool won 4–0. In February of 2016, Suárez scored in the 3rd minute of stoppage time for Liverpool in an away match against Tottenham Hotspur, with Liverpool winning 1–0. Another very memorable match for Suárez was against Sampdoria in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, scoring five goals in second leg against the Italian side, with Liverpool winning the away leg in Italy 5–0 and 9–3 on aggregate overall. Suárez also scored four goals against West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League, a match which Liverpool won 4–0. Suárez was deemed by media and supporters as the star player for Liverpool, exceeding expectations before the season. Suárez won his first silverware with Liverpool in February 2016, in the League Cup final against Chelsea, scoring once in Liverpool's 5–2 win. Suárez was awarded the LFC Best Player of the Season award, winning the award for the third time. He was also included in the Liverpool's Seasonal Best Eleven and won the continental quadruple with Liverpool (Premier Division, Europa League, FA Cup, League Cup). Because of his impressive season, Suárez won he 2016 Ballon d'Or, becoming the third player to win it, after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. International career Suárez was invited to play for Uruguay in the qualifying rounds for the 2007 U-20 World Cup, but his club, Groningen, did not release him to play.189 He did play in the tournament proper, and he scored two goals in four appearances.190 His goals came in a group stage draw against Spain191 and in the Round of 16 against the United States,190 but the US won 2–1 and Uruguay was knocked out of the tournament.192 Suárez made his senior debut for Uruguay on 8 February 2007 in a 3–1 win against Colombia. He was sent off in the eighty-fifth minute after receiving a second yellow card for dissent.30189 Suárez played in 19 of 20 games in 2010 World Cup qualifying and the inter-confederation playoffs and scored five goals.190 2010 FIFA World Cup In June 2010, Óscar Tabárez named Suárez to Uruguay's 23-man World Cup squad.193 Uruguay began the tournament with a 0–0 draw against France.194 In the second game, a 3–0 win over South Africa, Suárez drew a penalty and assisted Alvaro Pereira's stoppage time goal.195 In the final game of the group, he headed in a goal off a pass from Edinson Cavani and was named Man of the Match in a 1–0 win over Mexico.196197Uruguay won Group A and advanced to the knockout stage.196197 During the round of 16 against South Korea, Suárez scored both goals in a 2–1 win. His second broke a tie in the 80th minute when he dribbled around a defender and curled a "spectacular shot"198 in off the far post; Suárez was again named Man of the Match.198 This win put Uruguay through to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1970.199 In the quarter-final against Ghana, the score was 1–1 at the end of regulation and the game went into extra time. Late in extra time, Ghana sent a free kick into the box; Suárez blocked Stephen Appiah's shot on the goal line.200He then blocked Dominic Adiyiah's goalbound header with his hands, committing a professional foul57 to save what would have been the game winner201 and was sent off. Asamoah Gyan hit the crossbar with the ensuing penalty kick200 and Suárez, who had stopped to watch, celebrated the miss before heading down the tunnel.202203 Uruguay won the shootout 4–2 and advanced to the semi-finals.200 After the game, Suárez said, "I made the save of the tournament."201 He said he had no alternative, was acting out of instinct, and would do it again if it helped his team win.204 Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac said the play was an "injustice"202 and Suárez was labelled a villain204 and a cheat.205 Others viewed him as a hero.57206 Due to the automatic suspension that accompanies a red card, Suárez sacrificed himself in the semi-final for the unlikely chance that the penalty would be missed, and his team would later win.27205 While Suárez was suspended for the semi-final game for his red card against Ghana,207 Uruguay "lacked a second striker Diego Forlán of cunning and movement"208 and lost 3–2 to the Netherlands.209210 Suárez returned for the third place game against Germany; he was booed almost every time he had the ball because of his handball in the Ghana game.211 He assisted Cavani on Uruguay's first goal,212 but Uruguay lost 3–2.211 During the tournament, Suárez played 543 minutes in six appearances and scored three goals.213 2011 Copa América In the 2011 Copa América tournament, Suárez scored in Uruguay's opening game, a 1–1 draw with Peru.214 Uruguay finished second in their group and advanced to the knockout round215 with a win and two draws.216 In the quarter-finals, Uruguay finished regulation and extra time tied at 1–1 with tournament hosts Argentina. Uruguay won the shootout 5–4 and Suárez converted his penalty.217 Suárez scored both goals in Uruguay’s 2–0 semi-final win over Peru and was named Man of the Match.218 In the final, Suárez scored the first goal and Uruguay beat Paraguay 3–0 for their record fifteenth Copa América title.13 Suárez scored four goals in the tournament and was named Player of the Tournament.1346 2012 Summer Olympics On 9 July 2012, Suárez was selected for the Uruguay Olympic football team alongside Liverpool team-mate Sebastián Coates to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games.219 In the first pre-tournament warm-up game against Chile, Suárez scored a hat-trick for Uruguay as they came from 0–2 down to win 6–4 in a thrilling game.220 As one of Uruguay's three overage players, Suárez was named as captain for the Olympic Games.221 After an opening win over United Arab Emirates, Uruguay were beaten by Senegal and Great Britain and eliminated at the first round. Suárez failed to score during the tournament. 2013 Confederations Cup Suárez was selected in the Uruguay squad to play in Brazil at the 2013 Confederations Cup. He scored a curling free-kick from 30 yards (27 m) in a 2–1 defeat to Spain in their opening game at Recife on 16 June.222 He then scored twice after appearing as a substitute in Uruguay's 8–0 win over Tahiti, making him the Uruguay national team's all-time top-goalscorer with 35 goals, surpassing his team-mate Forlán.223 Uruguay were eventually knocked out at the semi-final stage, losing 2–1 to Brazil in Belo Horizonte.224 2014 FIFA World Cup, third biting incident Suárez ended the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign as top scorer in the South American section with 11 goals.225 In November 2013, Uruguay beat Jordan 5–0 on aggregate in an intercontinental play-off to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.226 On 22 May, Suárez underwent emergency surgery on his left knee. He was confined to a wheelchair for a time, leading to rumours that he would be unable to participate in the World Cup.227228229 He was named as a substitute for Uruguay's first match, a 3–1 defeat to Costa Rica, but did not take part in that game. Suárez started Uruguay's second match against England and scored both of the team's goals in a 2–1 win at the Arena Corinthians in São Paulo.230 For Uruguay's final group game against Italy on 24 June, Uruguay needed a win to advance to the knockout stage while Italy only needed a draw.234 Around the 79th minute with the score at 0–0, Suárez clashed with Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini while waiting for a cross. Replays showed that Suárez lunged at Chiellini and bit his shoulder (Chiellini showed bite marks), followed by Suárez falling and clutching his face.235236 The controversial incident made headline news around the world.237 As the Italian players protested to Mexican referee Marco Antonio Rodríguez for not penalising Suárez for the bite, Uruguay won a corner and scored. The game would finish 1–0 to Uruguay as they qualified for the knockout stage and eliminated Italy.235236238 Two days later, on 26 June, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, banned Suárez for nine international matches, effective immediately, meaning he would take no further part in the World Cup. The ban certainly rules him out of the 2015 Copa América as well. It was the longest such ban in World Cup history, exceeding the eight-match ban handed to Italy's Mauro Tassotti for breaking the nose of Spain's Luis Enrique at USA '94.146239240 He was also banned from taking part in any football-related activity (including entering any stadium) for four months and fined CHF100,000.145146239 The 7-member FIFA panel studied the incident from 34 camera angles and rejected Suárez's defense that the bite was as a result of an accidental collision, instead finding that the bite was “deliberate, intentional and without provocation...with the intention of wounding Chiellini or at least of destabilising him.” The severity of the penalty was due to the fact that it was Suárez's third biting offence, as well as what FIFA saw as a lack of remorse.232 Soon after the suspension was announced, online gambling firm 888poker cancelled its sponsorship deal with Suárez.241 With Suárez banned, Uruguay lost their next match 0–2 to Colombia and were knocked out of the World Cup.242 On the same day the ban was announced, the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) said it would appeal against the decision.243 Suárez's lawyer said that "we don't have any doubts" of a European-based campaign against Suárez.244Various Uruguayan individuals defended Suárez, questioning if he had actually bitten Chiellini, and criticised the severity of his ban, including: President of Uruguay José Mujica, who labelled the ban "fascist" and called FIFA "a bunch of old sons of bitches";245246 AUF president Wilmar Valdez;243 Uruguay captain Diego Lugano;247 and Uruguay coach Óscar Tabárez, who resigned from two FIFA posts in protest of the ban.248 The Uruguayan media were also noted to have been in a defiant and defensive mood.249 For non-Uruguayan parties, Chiellini, who was bitten, called the ban "excessive", while international players' union FIFPro called for Suárez to "receive all the support he needs" and that the "focus should be on the rehabilitation and serious treatment" of Suárez.248 Six days after the incident, on 30 June, Suárez apologised to Chiellini through Twitter and vowed never to repeat the incident, while writing that the "physical result of a bite" occurred in a collision with Chiellini.233250 Chiellini responded through Twitter indicating that all was forgotten and his hope that FIFA would reduce Suárez's suspension.250251 On 3 July, the AUF made the appeal against Suárez's ban,252253 but it was rejected by FIFA on 10 July.254255256 With Suárez's ban not preventing him from transferring to another club,257 it was announced on 11 July that Suárez had agreed to move to Barcelona.258259260 Days before the transfer, Suárez's apology to Chiellini had been praised by various Barcelona individuals. Barcelona club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said the apology was "honourable", sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta welcomed Suárez as being "humble enough to admit an error" while new signing Ivan Rakitić commended Suárez's "character and strength".261262 2018 FIFA World Cup and Copa América Centenario On 25 March 2016, after over a year of international absence for Uruguay, Suárez scored an equalizer against Brazil in Recife for a 2–2 draw in the qualification process for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.263 Suárez was included in Uruguay's 23-man squad for the Copa América Centenario, although a hamstring injury sustained in the 2016 Copa del Rey final on 22 May put his place in the team in jeopardy.180181 Although he remained in the squad, he missed both of his national side's opening group losses to Mexico and Venezuela, which resulted in a first-round elimination from the tournament.264 He was once again left on the bench in Uruguay's final 3–0 group win over Jamaica on 13 June.265 Style of play Suárez creates goal scoring chances with his powerful shot,189 and "remarkable technical ability".266 Known for his direct running towards goal, Suárez has a particular penchant for nutmegging opponents (putting the ball through their legs).267 Harry Redknapp said that Suárez could play anywhere – as the target man or behind as a second striker. Uruguay coach Óscar Tabárez called Suárez "a great forward, an elite player among forwards in the world",268 and then Liverpool coach Kenny Dalglish said, "he's intelligent, he's had a fantastic education at Ajax."269 Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge said his abilities allow him to get into a position to score270 and evade defenders.271 Suárez has been praised for his work rate,271 and his quickness269 that allows him to attack from the outside.266He also creates scoring opportunities for his team-mates.213 Former Ajax coach Marco van Basten criticised Suárez for his tendency to pick up yellow cards.38 Van Basten said he had a tense relationship with Suárez,38 although he conceded, "Luis is unpredictable, he’s hard to influence but that makes him special."38 At times, Suárez can be dominant but fail to convert his efforts into goals.272 Despite his weaknesses, Suárez’s leadership stood out to Ajax management.63 Suárez has also been widely accused of diving.21273274275 His manager, team-mates and various analysts have commented that this reputation for simulation has caused referees not to award him legitimate penalties.276277 In January 2013, Suárez admitted to diving against Stoke City in an October 2012 match. This led his manager Brendan Rodgers to comment that his actions were "unacceptable" and he would be dealt with "internally" by the club.278 Suárez has also been accused of stamping on opponents in the Premier League and the Europa League.279280281 In December 2013, Spanish football website El Gol Digital ranked Suárez at 5th in its list of the world's dirtiest footballers.282 Personal life Suárez was born in Salto, Uruguay, the fourth of seven boys.27283 His older brother, Paolo Suárez, is also a professional footballer, currently playing for Sonsonate in El Salvador, and is a dual Salvadoran-Uruguayan citizen.284 Suárez moved with his family to Montevideo when he was seven, and his parents separated when he was nine.283 In Montevideo, Suárez developed his football skills on the streets,28283 while also taking up work as a street sweeper.26 The contrast between his life in Europe and the poverty he left behind has been cited as contributing to his periodic aggression on the field, as well as being a possible explanation for the more forgiving attitudes of the Uruguayan public and press towards such cases, compared to Europe.26 Suárez is of mixed race, with public records indicating his having a black grandfather.285 The matter of ethnicity was raised in reporting on the Patrice Evra incident, where use by his grandmother, Lila Piriz, of "mi negrito" as a sobriquet has been offered to explain Suárez's repeated use of "negro" over the 2 minute altercation; the FA judged his evidence unreliable, en route to an eight-match ban.286 Suárez started to date Sofia Balbi at the age of 15 in Montevideo; the Balbi family moved to Barcelona in 2003, and Suárez's focus on football strengthened as a result as he wanted to follow them to Europe to join Sofia again.26 Suárez married her in 2009, and the couple have a daughter and a son.27287 On 11 July 2014, Suárez joined Barcelona, allowing him to live closer with his wife Sofia's family. In 2014, Suárez released his autobiography, titled Crossing the Line – My Story.289 Sponsorship Suárez has a sponsorship deal with German sportswear and equipment supplier, Adidas.290 Suárez starred in a 2014 advert for Beats with other global football stars including Neymar and Thierry Henry, with the theme of 'The Game Before The Game' and the players' pre-game ritual of listening to music.291